Steerable sled



A 1950 R. F. PAULY 2,520,779

STEERABLE SLED Filed Feb. 2, 1949 INVENTOR. BE RT PAULY AtboTYz/gy Patented. Aug. 29, 1950 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFlCE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to a steerable sled, particularly to sleds used for pleasure by children, and has for its object to provide, in a sled of one piece having one set of continuous runners, a steering wheel mounted at the front of the sled and having an arrangement of one or more rolling wheels contacting the surface over which the sled is moving and adapted to be turned to cause the front of the sled to turn and thereby to steer it.

In practice, steerable sleds are used in the form of what is known as bobsleds, where two sleds, one ahead of the other, have a common seat board extending over both sleds, and the front sled is pivotally connected to the board and its frame support, and is controlled either by a steering wheel and post or by lines or the like. This form of steerable sled known as the bobsled is impractical as a sled for pleasure and amusement to be used by children, and in general requires a strong and skillful older boy or man to operate the pivoted front sled.

Attempts have been made to make a steerable sled which can be used by children, by having the runners formed of some spring material such as steel and fixing some hand-operated member or members to the runners to distort or twist the front part of the runner to steer the sled. Such a sled has not proved satisfactory and must reduce the strength of the runners.

I have thought out a way of steering a childs sled which is very effective for the purpose and which greatly increases the fun and amusement of a child in coasting, as the steering is done in much the same way that steering of an automobile is done.

To do this I use a steering post with a hand wheel for a steering wheel on top of the post, which is rigidly attached to a transverse axle. On the axle is mounted one or more, preferably two, wheels at the ends of the axle. These wheels will have rolling contact with the surface over which the sled is moving. The wheels have a sharp edge on their outer rims to out into the icy surface where sliding or coasting takes place.

The steering post is mounted for up-and-down movement in a long collar fast on the sled top. It is pushed outwardly by a strong spring so that it is given a yielding engagement with the surface under the sled. Stops prevent swinging the axle and the surface-contacting wheels too far in either direction. This makes it possible for a child to steer a sled safely when going down hill.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide at' the front of a childs sled, having one-piece runners throughout their length, a steering means connected with a steering post on which is a hand-operated steering wheel, said steering means including surface-contacting wheels adapted to be swung with the axle fast on the steering post and situated between the runners of the sled.

It is a further object of my invention to fasten the steering post and the axle of the contact wheels rigidly together so that turning of the steering wheel will turn the post and attached axle and any Wheel or wheels mounted thereon.

It is a further object of my invention to mount the steering post for sliding movement in a long collar fast on the top of the sled.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a strong compression spring surrounding the steering post between the underside of the sled top and the steering axle which will operate all the time to push the contacting wheels outwardly against the surface contacted by the wheels.

It is a further object of my invention to provide stops adjacent the steering wheel or the several steering wheels which will prevent turning the axle'and the wheels more than a predetermined short distance at any one time.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the description given in the following specification, and the new features of the invention which produce the aforesaid useful and valuable results will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, v Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sled having my steering attachment applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the same; and,

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation view of the sled shown in Fig. 2.

As illustrated, a standard sled, designated generally by the numeral ID, has customary runners II and I2. Each runner extends the full length of the sled. The runners have front curved portions I3 and I4. As is customary, the runners l I and I2 constitute a part of the frame of the sled.

Each runner is provided with front bracket members l5 and rear bracket members 16. Each of these bracket members will preferably be formed with legs I! and I8, preferably united at I!) and sloping outwardly from said point of union to the runners, as best shown in Fig. 2.

To the parts I9 of brackets I6 there are secured supporting members 28 and 2| which extend across the top of the sled under the boards. The ends of the runners are provided with a transverse tie member 22 which bows forwardly, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and is secured at its center to a plate bar 23, which completes the frame of the sled and forms a support for a collar member 24.

' A series of boards 25, 26 and 21 are secured to cross members 20 and 2| and complete the sled and furnish the top on which the rider will sit.

Extending vertically through a central round opening in the collar member 24 is a steering post 28 which is free to slide up and down through the opening, and which has thereon an encircling stop 30. The stop 30 limits the downward movement of the steering post 28. The post is also free tolturnior rotateu Fast on "the flower end of steering post 2311s" an axle 3i. In the form shown, this axle extends at right angles to steering post 28 and a con-r sidera'ble part of the distance between the two I runners, so its ends are near the runners. i

4 ing at right angles thereto, a steering post held in said. collar for. free upeandi-downiand .rotary movements,:'a hand"wheel ontheito'p ofi the post, an axle rigidly connected at its center to the steering post at right angles thereto and to the runners of a length to bring its ends between andFn'ear-Lthe runners, a surface-contacting wheel Mounted on bearings on the ends oi' axle 3t,

so as to turn freely are a pair of surface-con tacting wheels 32 and S3. Thesezwheelsrz are" small enough so they will be entirely below the sled top, and each of themis formed with a sharp contacted by on'e or the other 'of' wheels 32"an'd" 33" whic-Eh will prevent swinging the 'axlel' too far-,'="and-"*will insure s'afe' steering of the 'sled by' a clril d at pla-yx v lr'i operati'on," the sled will be used by children in sli dingdown"inclines and about curvesin the usual way, exceptingthatthe child will sit'*- upon the sled with his feet preferably *again-s-t the-*eurvediront rail 22i and, with his hands" mounted for .free rolling movement upon each end part of' said" axle, and a, spring between the collar and"the axlexsurrounding the steering post ,to push the same and the axle downwardly so "contacting Wheel mounted for free rolling move on -fith e steering wheel-wjhe-can turn the axle 3P an with' it thesurface-contacting' wheels 32" These-wheelsare yieldingly but firmly neld' upon the slide-surface by' a strong spring 3?,

which surrounds the steering post adbetweenthe-'-platebar- 23*and thesteering axle 2G." The sprirfg continuously "pushesthe wheels 32 and 33 and theirgsharnedges 34* against the con tacte'd surface'overwhich the-sled is sliding:

The-sharp edges wi -will cut through that sur facefia-nd as-the setotwheels is turned one Way or tlie other; will steer"and guide the sled to go"around--curves or be moved back and forth on a wide' runway'all the timeunderthe controlof the child on the sled.

rammel. A steerable sled, comprising'an'elongated" frame inclu'ding one-piece-runners' forminga part thereof and a top, a vertical; steering post mounted in the topflfor up-ancl-down"and' 'rotary' movements; a"h'and"wheel1orr thetop of. said post? an axlemigidly connected at'i'its i center to the steering-postat' righti angles thereto and v to therunners'of alength to bring its ends between an'd near therunn'ers'a surface-contacting wheel mcunted foi -free' rolling movement upon each end part of said axle, and. spring means nperative"up'oni the "steering post to push the-learner. andith'e Iaxle downwardly-so .as to .forcewboth 'wlieels-'up"on"'the contacted surface.

2. A'steerab'lesled, comprising an elongatedthe axles"- that 'said""whe'els-'severally wilt-be ment' upon each'end pa'rt'of saidaxle, and-means ontlieframe: en'gageabl'e with said wheels whentheyiare" turned to limit their turning movement 5; 1A steerable sled; comprising "an elongated? frame including:one-piece run-ner-s' fo'rmirfg a part thereofand "a top', a"vert' al steeringrpost mountedin thei top 'and adaptedto have up-and down 'and rota'ry m'ovein'entsg a-=han'd-' whel "o at its -center to the steering-'"post at'iri'ght angles thereto and to the runners"of -adehgtwto brin s: is endsibetween'"and near the runners; a su-rfaoe contactinggwheel mounted foriree rolling move means:opera'tin'le upon Y the ste'erin'g post 'to push the :same and the axle downwardly soas= to force'-' both f wheels upon: the contacting 1 surface? and means 'omthe irame engageabl'e'" with said-Wheels s when they are turne'd tdliinit thein-tlirning mov'e merit! 6. A steerable' slecL cornprising-'- an""elongated frame 'includirig one-piece runners forming apart thereof and *atop;' a vertical steering-post mounted in the top ans-seamed to have upe'and down and rotary movements, a hand whel on the' top of 1 "said postiian axlerigi'dly 3 connected at -its' center to the steering post at right anglef's thereto and 'tothe runners of *a lehgh" tcr -brin its" ends-between and near the runners,=a *surfa ce contacting wheel mountedfd'r' free roll in-g move me'nt upon each-" end part of'said' axley and ad pending-arm on each side ofthe frame so p sitioned relative to the wheels on the ends of;

brougl'i't into" contacvwith 'one or the-other of 0 said arms upon turning ofthe axletdlimitthat thessteering post at right angles thereto and to thewunners'of a lengthto bring its ends between and'neentherunnersm surface-contacting wheel mounted? for "free rolling movement upon each end: of said axle; and fspring meains :oper'ative upon the steering post to push the sameand the raxle downwardly so 'as to fo-rcewbothiwheels upon tthei contacted surface, said contact wheelsbeing. formed'vwitn a-xsharp surroundingedge" ion-penetration into the-surface;

3. -A- steerable sled "comprising an elongated frame -including ,1. one-piece runners forming a partithereot and a top; a collar: member of sub stantialn-lengthrmountedsin the top; and extends.-

Number Name Date" 2651062'" newsman Sept26 1882?? 7311925 Marque-igu na- June 23; 1903 FOREIGNPPATENTSK Number? Country V I Dates.

Switzerland Octi' lifi l -l 

